Cheebah and all that - Limerick, Ireland

Out on Lisbon

Received a copy of out on a lim there over the weekend. Good to see football zine culture still alive and kicking. Nice background piece here from Brian McDonnell in Leader.You can get a copy from the Limerick 37 Supporters club stall in the milk market on Saturday mornings.

I saw editor of the zine, Ron Byrne, at the Socialist Party organised debate on Lisbon treaty in the Hilton last night. A very big crowd of around 150 from all political hues came along to hear Joe Higgins, Barry Finnegan, Peter Power and Diarmuid Scully debate the treaty. Some fiery rhetoric, lots of diverse views and concerns were packed into over two and a half hours. Strangest moment of the night for me though came when ex mayor of the city and Fine Gael Councillor Diarmuid Scully concluded his pro treaty speech. Attacking Declan Ganley and his neo- con associations, he then urged the crowd to vote yes so as to give two fingers to George Bush ! This was the second time in ten days that I had witnessed somebody on stage exhorting me to give the finger to George Bush. Previous to this it had been Public Enemy in the tripod. Strange days when Fine Gael and Public Enemy are in agreement. But nowhere near as strange as the Jim Corr rant.

Shane

The Bucket

Adam Mansbach speaks wisdom at b-boy hodown 2006. All good but in particular check the nugget at 3.55 about the bucket. I'm currently enjoying Mansbach's brilliant satire on Amerikkka and race relations Angry Black White Boy. Real hip hop feel and flow. Worth reading.

Shane

Green and Mean

In the political media circus, there was no greater beef than that between John Gormley and Michael McDowell. However, there was one issue that could bring them together in sweet harmony and that was graffiti. They attempted to outdo each other in who could come up with the tougher sanctions but agreed in the Dail in 06 that
"Graffiti is anti-social and degrades the whole community"
Of course things have moved on and now Gormley is putting his sandals under the cabinet table where Michael's boots used be. However he hasn't forgotten his principles and All-city have highlighted how only this month, the new minister looks forward to more prosecutions against graffiti artists which was
"very important in the fight against crime"
In the same week, Olivia O Leary, dedicated her radio column to the Greens and argued that ultimately the party was much more pro business than most think. This helps one understand how Gormley worries in his Dail speech about the shopkeeper on Dame Street but no mention about other visual pollution blighting our cities in the form of outdoor advertising. But then advertising agencies are giving us free bikes (even if it isn't a great deal) so I suppose they are the good guys.
Anyhow the die is cast, expect some strikes against this crimewave. Hope somebody tells Lorraine

Shane

Eist IV

• Lyric FM seems to be moving further and further away from the stranglehold of just one genre and the schedule is now peppered with really diverse shows. John Kelly, Gerry Godley and Nova grow stronger but last Saturday was the first time I heard the Magic Carpet. Presented by Rachel Blech, it is a pretty diverse mix but noticeable was a piece ten minutes in which featured human beatboxing. Yes! a human beatboxer on national radio on a Saturday afternoon. Listen back here. Rachel has been staying true to this agenda for quite a while and used co-present a show with Limerick's Una Collier on community radio in Donegal not so long ago. Great to see her getting her own regular national show now.

• In another studio in Limerick, K3Bee has been staying true to the game for a long while. Part of the Nu Killa set up he is also now producing some tasty dubstep and has been featured by Colz. Check his material here.

• One of Irelands greatest unsung producers is Berlin based Troubled Soul. A legendary turntablist, his label Equilibrium was responsible for some great releases. He has now available for limited download a dubplate on his myspace page. Download the free one and look through the equilibrium catalogue and buy some of those that you have missed.

• Troubled Soul was a very popular fixture on Power FM when it ran in the late 90s in Dublin on the FM band. Two other presenters from that era have decided to bring a new updated version of their Sunday Service out as a podcast. SurburbanSupaHeroes part one is available here and the first hopefully of many from Krossphader and Dr. Groove. A few technical hitches on the first one and a very laidback style but one worth keeping an eye on. From the team who helped to bring you Going Postal.

• There was always a political tinge to the Going Postal crew and it is good to be reminded that hip hop and spoken word can still upset the powers that be. Al Jazeera had a great documentary in it's People and Power series on the 'Book Cafe' in Harare in Zimbabwe which runs events that are constantly been monitored and broken up by the authorities. Worth watching on this important day in the country's history. Part One and Part Two.

• If you wish to seek out some fresh new sounds from the African continent, listen up to African hip hop radio podcast. Liking that  Zaki Ibrahim track in particular.(via wayne&wax who has some great other african related links here)

• Finally, I have burned the ear off a lot of people in recent weeks about the 1,000 true fans article and suggested models. Has a lot of people talking. 4hero are asking their fans what route they should go here. Meanwhile Robin from Theatre of Noise in Limerick has a very interesting piece on various funding avenues that artists might pursue. Worth reading.

Shane

Celebrate Struggle

Costello's Antiques on Nicholas Street have rightly acquired a great reputation over the years for their approachable and knowledgeable style and their help to the arts in Limerick, particularly, theatre. For those who live in the area though, the shop run by John and set up by his father, the late Eddie (RIP) is also a source of great pride due to it's determination to persevere in the oldest street in the city and their fantastic window displays. With St Patricks Day and Easter coming shortly, I look forward to swinging by there.  However  I got a pleasant surprise passing today to see the above framed photograph standing solely with pride in the window.
Happy International Womens Day!

BD

Eist III

Reading piece on pippy reminded me of another talent he has for graf and how back in the early 90s he designed a striking street piece for a short lived hip hop night in the city with Stevie G and ruff cherry's James McGrath. Well, like pippy, Stevie motors on downsouth, playing quality music and I think it would be fair to argue that his tapes were in equal demand (to pippy's) for a long period of time shannonside as well. In fact I remember, one morning in 99 finding my car broken into in the southside of the city, but nothing taken except my coveted stevie g tapes and one by Greg and Shane!. If you suffered at the hands of the same thief, you will be glad to know that the Black on red host has put up a huge array of mixes at podomatic. Tru skool to nu soul to yo latino!. It's all there.

Another hip hop fiend and legend DJ Mek has discovered some old dusty mix tapes of his and is sharing snippets on his blog.

Irish hiphop most prolific songwriter of the last few years Captain moonlight stepped into the indiehour on Dublin City FM a couple of weeks back and talked about early influences, writing rhymes, 'that track' and fatherhood. No predictions for the hurling though.

That track was of course released by all city on 7" (they have moonlights stuff to buy here). The Dublin based label will be releasing 7 tracks on 7 inch to celebrate 7 years this year. They chose Peter Curtins 'The Block' show for the worldwide exclusive airing of some of the tracks from this beatstrumental series. Great stuff, you can listen back to the show here.

And finally if you are smiling at the thought of that Moonlight track, take a listen to this and read the article from the New York Times. Cork born, hurling playing but nightmare living. Ireland 2008.

Shane

The Party is over

‘The party's over’ glowers the billboard in sight of the entrance to Limerick Jail. It's eye catching luminosity may be the last public announcement, members of this months rotating prison populace read for a while. The ad informs cons and straights alike that mixing cocaine with drink will result in an increased chance of a heart attack. Really! it seems that any coke fueled party in town or city is now a major health risk. Finally some news on this!
Sophistication is not a consideration here, the effectiveness of this campaign is minimal and not just on the prison's site. You may be excused for mistaking the block of colour with its small type as a reminder to check your cholesterol, such is its functional medical style. Design issues aside, the posters are an understated official response to the jazzed up recreational habits that testify to years of Tiger cub spending power. No longer the stereotyped preserve of Gangsters or the entertainment industry, the contemporary face of cocaine could be billboarded as a young Gaa county player, the woman who cleans the lifts in the morning or a painter decorator who does community work at the weekend. No new news there of course.
Limerick also cheekily contributes its official stamp in visualising the scourge , with the cities Statue of Richard Harris now sporting white tippexed marks around his nose, courtesy of some Joe Duffy informed young scamp?
The recent storm in a tea cup over the politician who did or did not admit using coke, wearily ticked the final profile box before this campaign. Why highlight cocaine business now? The levels of associated violence probably. It appears that easing in on health angle was a simple catch all that would not raise issues of policing for example. A colour and text billboard display is only part  the strategy on this brief I presume, but at present it is in danger of being considered for as long, as smokers consider the health warning on packs.
Some serious work on this ad brief could have been attempted. Perhaps billboards with a images of the above representatives ( GAA guy , cleaner etc) with a localised tag line or something equally direct. This  would be a design attempt that at least respects the need to visualise the subject maturely, unless this is as far as  this project goes.
As it stands the Street sited public information on cocaine does nothing more than allow the Government the opportunity to deny inactivity in the designed guise of wall mounted toothpaste packaging.
Because this is new territory for our guardians the billboards design oversimplify the subject matter. The signing off  on a basic design solution has resulted in a bland selection of colour block themed print infomercials intending to appeal to all, but appealing to nobody.
The intended impact from the governments intention from this project should at this rate should be on par with the classic ‘Phone wreckers are idiots’ anti-vandalism campaign of the 80s. (that one used TV ads and starred Bob Geldof fronting the mean streets in what would now be described as a micro ‘dramedy’).
If the problem is as serious as the amount of the drug seized by customs suggests then then even a billboard campaign ,which is often a token attempt at visualising ‘issues’ by the government, should reconsider its discrete approach. The  Government admission that users are not exclusively criminals or exotic entertainers is not enough of  an  acknowledgment . Perhaps the strident tone of  the  recent ‘why should I let your behaviour ruin my night’ poster ads prompted a restrained social ad roll out this time.
Across from the billboard site beside the prison is written the homely Father Ted quote spotted above.
Imagine, ‘Cocaine! down with that sort of  thing’ on an official poster, no ambiguous tone there, a classic contemporary  Irish phrase and inclusive to all.

Paul Tarpey

James Connolly

Rascal Films have been preparing this biopic of Ireland's most famous socialist for a few years now. They have been raising funds in a number of ways, avoiding the corporate route a little bit like the Crude film which shane wrote about before. Now, Mackozer reports that the most realistic portrayal of turn of the 20th  century Dublin is to be found in Poland and Gdansk specifically. Thus the film is to be shot there. I'm sure if Connolly was around today he would be joining colleagues in SIPTU etc in organising the new Polish workers and hopefully this film went it arrives on our screens will awaken many, of all nationalities, to his message.

Bottom Dog

Drawing Lines

Making a film without support from a significant film institution is notoriously difficult, but after 2 and a half years, "Drawing the Line", an independent film about graffiti, is close to completion. An early version of the film was shown last year at DEAF and Limerick filmmaker Yolanda Barker is now finalizing it for a full DVD release. A fundraiser happens in Dublin next Tuesday evening with a host of DJs and VJs including Peter Curtin and Cool C. Adm 7 euro. We will be doing more on this film soon.

While Barker documents these alternative voices, Phillip King's 'other voices' series has for some time taken the national limelight. However while it's sacred location in Dingle is attractive we are more fond of a small chuch in the square in Listowel which over the years has programmed an excellent artistic lineup in an idyllic setting. Lorcan over at eagsúil describes the night when Malian musician Baba Salah came to town, fresh from Crawdaddy.

While some churches now pack them in for gigs, their previous administrators have dwindled in numbers but can still have influence. The franciscan brothers who arrived in Moyross last winter have probably been the success story of 2007 in our city. Brother Shawn O Connor was on RTE Radio's 'This week' last Sunday. In a six minute interview he exuded a calm and belief which many of our politicians sorely lack. However it was the last minute of the interview which really grabbed my attention as he alluded to the deplorable tabloidesque practice of labelling people as scum. Worth listening to- click on this link- requires real player.

Shane

P K Teaser

Spotted outside Courthouse in Limerick.

Update- National media has this story!

Shane